Me n Terre

I'd forgotten about this silliness between me and arch-gender twist electronica theorist Terre Thaemlitz in the letters pages of The Wire a few years ago until I came across it again at Terre's site.

A review by David Elliot of Terre's performance at The Tokyo ICC had given Terre a bit of a pasting so I sent a letter in:

Letter to the Editor: The Great Pretender (Reply to review by David Elliot)
- Loki
In The Wire, Issue 195, May 2000.

I feel I have to reply to the criticism of my performance as Terre Thaemlitz in your April issue. I've been standing in for various techno/electronica/soundscaping artists for a few years now (recently toured as Air, Autchre and Martin Rev - easy; just get some shades and a crappy keyboard and stick the CD player on random play) and I've always prided my in my ability to emulate the real thing in performance, culminating in me and my mate Colin's extremely well received performance as Orbital at Glastonbury a few years back (depite having to shave my hair off and wear those uncomfortable little specs, the whole thing was great).

Anyway, I feel a little aggrieved that my one performance of the year when I didn't really feel up to it ( I'd rehearsed the routine for weeks and spent a day on my make-up , despite a heavy head cold) should be the one that Mr. Elliot decides to pick up on. Okay, so I got the wrong tracks on the laptop (it was a bit of a racket, wasn't it?), okay so I forgot all the dance-steps, but is that really excuse enough to launch into such abuse? Left you cold did it? Well, I'm sorry David but I didn't hear anyone complaining at the after-gig party where I certainly gave as good a bit of Thaemlitz gender bending love action as I got (If 'Susan' is reading this, then I can only apologise and promise to pay for the damages).

Where was the real Terre Thaemlitz? Well, let's just say the boy's not as young as he used to be. Still, it's unfair he should get any grief from this, I fully accept it was me who messed up. I guess I should have listened to something he'd done before taking on the job.

Needless to say, Mr. Elliot's review has made me think long and hard about my career and I'm now thinking of announcing my retirement when I play every single member of Godspeed You Black Emperor! at the Domino Festival in Belgium.

Oh, and I was going on for John Balance at Cornucopea until you went and put him on the cover in the full light of day. Jesus, isn't it Music to Play in the Dark!; why change a habit of a lifetime now?

See you in Belgium.

- Loki

To which Terre replied:

Letter to the Editor: Truth will out (Reply to letter by XXXXX XXXXX)

- Terre Thaemlitz
In The Wire, Issue 196, June 2000

Note from Terre: I do not know who XXXXX XXXXX is, but I thought I should have some fun with him as he did with me. ;-)

In light of your review of 'my' performance at Tokyo's ICC Centre (On Location, The Wire 194), I feel I must distance myself from the tru culprit, XXXXX XXXXXX, a performance 'stand-in' who has been nothing but trouble since our contract negotiations began (see Letters, 195). Mr. XXXXX (a lowly creature befitting his name) failed to fulfill the terms of our agreement, ignoring my track selection and even being so brazen as to substitute his own compositions for my own. I was also horrified by his inept attempt at drag, as he looked more like a frat boy during hazing rituals than the persona he promissed to deliver.

I am currently pursuing legal remedy to this situation, and as part of our resolution you should be receiving an explanation from Mr. XXXX himself. Please extend my grattitude to the reviewer, David Elliot, for his assistance in bringing this situation to a head.

- Terre Thaemlitz, Oakland, USA

I later sent exchanged a few e-mails with Terre in a half hearted attempt at blackmail but got diddly squat except a counter-claim and a Paddington style
withering stare.

Listen and weep:

Terre Thaemlitz - 30 shades of gray